The invention relates to a vehicle control panel for an automotive vehicle having at least one multifunctional setting switch and a mode selector for setting the control panel to operate in any one of at least two modes, wherein in a first mode of operation of the control panel the multifunctional setting switch controls a parameter of an audio system of the vehicle, and, in a second mode of operation of the control panel the multifunctional setting switch controls a parameter of a climate control system of the vehicle.
On the instrument panel of most modern automobiles there are a plethora of dials, warning lights and switches, only a few of which are relevant to the driver at any one time. There are many switches for all the functions of the xe2x80x98passenger comfortxe2x80x99 systems, i.e. those which do not contribute to the safe driving of the vehicle such as the audio system and the climate control system. Care has to be taken by the designers of automotive instrument panels to avoid clutter. FR-2738196 and WO-98/09847 disclose control systems with multifunctional switches in which the function served by a switch at any one time is displayed using a display screen. However, the use of a display screen makes such control systems costly to implement. Furthermore, it is necessary for the driver to read what is on the screen to determine the function that is being controlled and this can be distracting to the driver.
The present invention seeks therefore to provide a simplified vehicle control panel using a multifunctional setting switch in which clutter is avoided.
According to the invention there is provided a vehicle control panel having at least one multifunctional setting switch and a mode selector for setting the control panel to operate in any one of at least two modes, wherein in a first mode of operation of the control panel the multifunctional setting switch controls a parameter of an audio system of the vehicle, and, in a second mode of operation or the control panel the multifunctional setting switch controls a parameter of a climate control system of the vehicle, characterised in that, in each mode of operation of the control panel, respective system-specific function selection buttons are displayed on the control panel, each enabling selection of a respective vehicle system parameter to be controlled by the multifunctional setting switch, the respective system-specific function selection buttons only being displayed when the control panel is operating in the appropriate mode, and in that on the control panel, none of the function selection buttons of one vehicle system overlaps the function selection buttons of any other vehicle system to be displayed in any one mode of operation of the control panel.
In the present invention, the appearance of the control panel changes significantly between operating modes so that the vehicle driver can tell at a glance which vehicle system is being controlled at any one time. Furthermore, the buttons that select the different functions controlled by the multifunctional manual switch in any one mode all occupy different positions on the control panel for thy different vehicle systems, so that the driver can quickly learn to associate a position on the control panel with a given function, thereby enabling function selection and control of the selected vehicle system parameter to be carried out with a minimum of distraction.
The climate control system parameters may be temperature or fan speed. The audio system parameters may be volume, tuned frequency or track number in a CD.
Preferably the automotive control panel additionally includes displays of the level of the parameters controlled.
More preferably such displays are also hidden until he control panel is operating in the mode in which that parameter is controllable by the multifunctional switch. In this way, the driver in only presented with information relevant to the vehicle system corresponding to the prevailing mode of operation of the control panel.
Preferably such selective display is provided by using a xe2x80x98secret-until-litxe2x80x99 material which carries a first printed layer on its obverse surface and a record printed layer on its reverse surface, the second printed layer being visible only when backlit.
Such a xe2x80x98secret-until-litxe2x80x99 material is disclosed in International Patent application WO97/16812 and comprises a partially transparent tinted substrate layer carrying a first obverse layer and a second reverse layer, the second reverse layer carrying a first printed display and the first obverse layer carrying a second printed display and being partially transparent coated with a transparent carrier supporting non opaque particulate light splitting or light frequency modulating materials such as mica coated with titanium dioxide. In ambient light the second printed display is visible and when a light of sufficient intensity is shone from a source located at the rear of the material the presence of the first printed display on the second reverse layer becomes visible and the second printed display becomes visible. A light emitting diode or sets of diodes can be used to provide the backlighting.
Thus, around the switch there may be arranged a series of graduations which are printed on the reverse layer, one set of graduations corresponding to each parameter that the switch is arranged to control, each set of graduations having located behind it a set of LED""s which can be selectively illuminated dependent upon the mode in which the control panel is operating.
Preferably, the multifunctional manual switch is of the type described in no-pending international Patent Application WO00/34006, entitled Touch Sensitive Switch. Such a switch comprises a touch sensitive switch for use to select the level of a parameter of operation of an automotive system comprising a hollowed out depression in an instrument panel defining a guide track extending between a first wall and a second wall, shaped and sized to receive the tip of a finder and allow it to be freely moved along the base of the track from one wall to the other, the base of the guide track including touch sensitive means such that the position along the track to which the finger is moved selects the lever of the parameter.
The touch sensitive means may comprise a series of microswitches arranged along the length of the guide track so the position to which the finger is moved along the guide track selects a microswitch located at the end of the fingers path to select a particular level of the parameter. Alternatively the touch sensitive means may include a resistive strip with the resistance depending on the position to which the finger is moved.
Preferably the guide track is an elongate substantially linear track.